Kathy Richards

IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Kathy Richards, 76, of Orchard Road, Ironwood Township, died peacefully Thursday morning, Nov. 19, 2015, at home, with her loving family by her side.

The former Kathy Nelson was born Dec. 7, 1938, in Bessemer Township, daughter of the late Carl and Signe (Riipinen) Nelson. She attended Puritan and Roosevelt School and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in Ironwood with the Class of 1956. She was then employed as a secretary at Cherne Contracting Co. in Ironwood prior to her marriage to Bill Richards on Jan. 4, 1958, at Salem Lutheran Church in Ironwood.

Kathy worked as a secretary in the chemistry department at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, as an assistant to Dr. Jim Albert M.D. in his podiatry practice in Ironwood, and was employed in housekeeping at Circle Hills. She then became property manager of Mill Trace Apartments in Ironwood Township and was the current owner and operator of Kathy Richards Management, which owns and operates 50 properties in five states, with more than 3,000 residential units. She was also CEO of Richards North Timberline Farms in Ironwood Township and was a certified Realtor in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Kathy was a current member of Range Community Bible Church in Hurley, Wis., and former member of Salem Lutheran Church and Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Ironwood. She formerly was a member of the Roosevelt PTO, served on the Ironwood Catholic School Board of Education and the Salem Lutheran Church Council, and was a Lector and Eucharistic Minister at Our Lady of Peace.

Surviving are her husband, Bill, of 57 years; five children, Bill (Jess) Richards, Gladstone, Karl (Paula) Richards, Prairie du Sac, Wis., Jerry (Mary Beth) Richards, Stevens Point, Wis., Don (Lisa) Richards, Kimball, Wis., and Becky (Jim) Murphy, Mauston, Wis .; 13 grandchildren; one great-grandson; a brother, Jim (Lorene) Nelson, Kingsford; sister, Betty Halme, Milwaukee; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Flossie Nelson, Tom (Sally) Richards, Jim (Sue) Richards and Thelma (Nestor) Balisi; and numerous nieces and nephews.  

Besides her parents, Kathy was predeceased by brothers, Bob and Jack Nelson; and sister, Karla Nelson.

Funeral services will be held Monday, Nov. 23, at 11 a.m., preceded by visitation at 10 a.m., at Range Community Bible Church in Hurley, with Dr. Neal Schroeter, pastor, officiating.

Luncheon will follow at the Iron Nugget in downtown Hurley.

Private interment will be in Sunset Acres Cemetery, Ironwood Township.

Serving as pallbearers will be Bill Jr., Bill III, Karl, Jerry, Don and Becky Richards.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Range Community Bible Church.

Arrangements have been entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, Inc., Ironwood. Condolences may be expressed online at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.